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I  / 


THE  LIFE  OF  THE  CHURCH. 


C.  W.  HODGE,  D.  D. 


Compliments  of  Princeton  Seminary . 


/ 


THE  WORK  OF  MISSIONS  ESSENTIAL  TO  THE 

LIFE  OF  THE  CHURCH 


> 


SERMON 


DELIVERED  IN  THE 


SEMINARY  CHAPEL 

NOVEMBER  7TH,  1880 

BY 


C.  W.  HODGE,  D.  D., 

PROFESSOR  OF  NEW  TESTAMENT  LITERATURE  AND  BIBLICAL  GREEK  IN  THE 
THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY  AT  PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


PUBLISHED  BY  REQUEST  OF  THE  STUDENTS 


PRINCETON 

PRESS  PRINTING  ESTAULISIIMENT 


l880 


<  i  C  <  <  l  «  ‘ 


✓ 


•  •  •  • 


.  . 


SERMON. 


Eph.  hi,  6.  That  the  Gentiles  should  be  fellow  heirs ,  and 
of  the  same  body ,  and  partakers  of  his  promise  in  Christ  by  the 
gospel . 

It  may  seem  an  unnecessary  task  to  endeavor  to  shew  that 
the  work  of  missions  is  essential  to  the  life  of  the  church,  that 
it  is  involved  in  the  idea  of  its  being,  and  in  the  history  of  its 
origin  ;  and  that  the  New  Testament  in  its  doctrine  and  its 
history  sets  forth  the  salvation  of  the  world  as  the  object  oi 
the  gospel,  and  lays  the  responsibility  for  the  accomplishment 
of  that  object  upon  the  missionary  agency  of  the  Church.  It 
is  so  true  that  it  seems  like  a  truism;  and  yet,  like  many  things 
of  primary  importance,  there  is  danger  that  it  be  left  to  take 
care  of  itself  in  the  search  after  less  obvious  and  practical 
interests. 

The  commission  was  given  by  our  Saviour  to  his  disciples 
before  his  ascension  to  go  into  all  the  world,  and  to  preach 
the  gospel  to  every  creature.  Terms  could  not  be  found 
wider  or  more  inclusive.  And  the  limit  of  time  they  were  to 
tarry  at  Jerusalem  was  set  at  Pentecost,  when  they  should  be 
endued  with  power  from  on  high.  And  yet  we  find,  so  far  as 
we  have  an  account  of  their  work  in’the  Book  of  Acts,  which 
though  not  complete  in  detail,  must  be  accurate  in  principle, 
that  they  were  content  to  remain  in  Jerusalem  for  fourteen 
years  preaching  to  none  but  Jews  only;  and  that  the  gospel 
was  carried  to  the  Gentiles,  not  by  the  apostles  in  the  first 
instance,  but  by  the  church  ;  and  that  the  church  herself  had 
first  to  be  scattered  by  persecution  among  the  nations,  before 


4 


the  spirit  of  the  gospel  burning  in  the  hearts  of  believers, 
impelled  them  to  preach  wherever  they  went ;  and  where  there 
was  preaching  there  were  conversions,  and  where  there  were 
believers,  there  was  the  church.  Not  till  the  gentile  church 
of  Antioch  was  founded,  did  Jerusalem  send  Barnabas  to 
oversee  it ;  and  not  until  fourteen  years  after  the  ascension  did 
the  church  at  Antioch  enter  upon  the  first  systematic  and 
ecclesiastical  effort  to  spread  the  gospel  in  the  world,  in  equip¬ 
ping  and  sending  forth  Barnabas  and  Paul.  And  even  yet, 
the  original  apostles  took  no  direct  part  in  thus  carrying  out 
the  commission  of  the  Saviour,  but  remained  in  Jerusalem,  or 
were  content,  no  doubt  for  wise  reasons,  to  go  to  the  Jews 
while  Paul  preached  to  Gentiles.  No  new  revelation  of  truth 
was  involved  in  this  extension  ;  no  new  commission  ;  no  princi¬ 
ple  inculcated  which  had  not  been  taught  them  by  the  Master  ; 
and  yet  we  see  how  slowly  and  partially  they  reached  a  personal 
understanding  of  what  was  involved  in  the  truth  they  taught, 
and  a  practical  recognition  of  its  consequences.  And  so  it 
has  been  ever  since.  The  church  cannot  live  except  by  grow¬ 
ing,  it  cannot  exist  except  by  extending  itself.  And  yet, 
throughout  its  history,  it  has  been  occupied  with  controver¬ 
sies,  with  the  development  and  settlement  or  reformation  of 
its  doctrines,  with  the  discussion  of  its  relations  to  the  state, 
or  with  the  struggle  for  existence  under  persecution,  and  its 
work  of  missions  has  been  lost  sight  of,  or  relegated  to  a 
secondary  place  in  its  estimation,  instead  of  being  regarded 
as  the  reason  for  its  being,  and  the  legitimate  sphere  of  its 
activity.  And  even  in  these  days  of  missionary  agencies,  we 
are  apt  to  regard  the  work  as  accessory  rather  than  funda¬ 
mental  ;  to  draw  distinctions  between  its  various  departments 
more  than  to  insist  upon  its  essential  unity;  and  therefore  to 
underrate  the  effect  of  this  work  upon  the  spirituality  of  the 
church,  and  upon  our  own  personal  spiritual  life.  It  will  be 
profitable  to  see  how  much  evidence  exists  that  missions  are 
not  modern,  and  to  study  the  relations  in  which  they  are  set 
in  the  New  Testament. 


5 


I.  I  can  only  briefly  allude  at  the  outset  to  thetruth,  which 
I  may  not  pass  over,  that  the  whole  scheme  of  salvation  has 
its  origin  in  the  love  of  God,  and  that  the  limits  and  conditions 
of  that  love  are  in  God  himself.  It  is  not  because  one  race,  or 
one  man,  is  more  worthy  than  another  that  God  bestows  his 
love  ;  but  his  love  bestowed  becomes  the  cause  of  their  be¬ 
coming  worthy  of  it.  God  so  loved  the  world  in  its  sin  and 
misery,  as  to  purpose  to  save  it  at  vast  sacrifice.  And  that 
originating  principle,  therefore,  determines  the  application  of 
salvation,  and  sets  the  measure  of  our  responsibility  wide  as 
the  sweep  of  the  love  of  God. 

And  moreover,  as  love  is  the  originating  principle  of  salva¬ 
tion,  so  it  becomes  the  organizing  and  life  principle  of  those 
who  are  saved.  Men  are  saved  by  the  love  of  God,  overcom¬ 
ing  the  enmity  and  opposition  of  the  heart  to  God,  bringing 
the  soul  into  harmony  with  the  truth,  furnishing  the  principle 
and  motive  of  new  obedience  to  the  will  of  God.  Love,  there¬ 
fore,  is  to  such  a  degree  the  life  principle  of  the  redeemed, 
that  it  must  determine  all  their  relations  to  God  and  to  their 
fellow  men.  Saved  by  love,  they  are  by  virtue  of  salvation, 
lovers  of  God  and  lovers  of  men.  Free  giving  implies  not 
only  free  acceptance,  but  free  giving  in  return  to  others.  The 
same  principle  which  originated  salvation,  and  applied  it  in 
any  individual  case,  works  outward  with  resistless  impulse, 
burning  and  shining,  for  the  salvation  of  the  world,  mani¬ 
festing  its  heavenly  origin  by  working  as  God  works,  vindi¬ 
cating  itself  to  the  believer  and  to  the  world  as  genuine  and 
divine,  by  this  divine  activity.  And  as  a  principle  which  has 
power  enough  to  accomplish  the  work  is  the  origin  of  the 
whole  scheme,  so  every  declaration  of  the  purpose  of  God  in 
salvation  reveals  the  same  extension.  Read  that  exalted 
doxology  to  the  grace  of  God  in  Eph.  I,  traversing  the  whole 
scheme  from  its  source  in  the  purpose  of  God  to  its  present 
realization  of  spiritual  gifts  by  both  Jews  and  Gentiles  ;  that  is, 
all  men  everywhere  and  without  distinction.  The  Apostle 
sets  forth  its  design,  its  characteristics,  and  its  blessings,  all  in 


6 


order  to  the  glory  of  God.  It  is  first  in  the  purpose  of  God, 
it  is  realized  in  redemption  by  the  blood  of  Christ ;  and  then, 
the  mystery  before  hidden,  is  revealed  ;  “  according  to  the  good 
pleasure  which  he  hath  purposed  in  himself,  that  in  the  dispen¬ 
sation  of  the  fulness  of  times,  he  might  gather  together  in  one 
all  things  in  Christ,  both  which  are  in  heaven  and  which  are 
in  earth,  even  in  him.”  And  this  salvation  is  thus  said  to 
have  been  appropriated  when  revealed,  both  by  Jews  and  Gen¬ 
tiles,  and  then,  “  sealed  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of  promise,  which 
is  the  earnest  of  our  inheritance  until  the  redemption  of  the 
purchased  possession,  unto  the  praise  of  his  glory.” 

2.  I  might  dwell  on  the  evidences  of  this  universal  adapta¬ 
tion  in  the  first  form  of  the  promise  of  this  salvation,  as  it 
came  into  history.  It  was  for  man.  A  promised  man  from 
heaven  should  win  salvation  for  men.  And  even  when  in  the 
development  of  the  purpose,  the  election  of  God  was  narrowed 
to  a  nation,  the  promise  was  not  narrowed  ;  for  the  blessing 
to  Abraham  was  to  include  all  nations.  And,  as  the  apostle 
argues,  the  law  which  was  given  afterwards,  could  neither 
annul  the  promise  nor  add  to  its  conditions.  And  in  like 
manner,  we  might  recall  the  prophecies  of  Messiah’s  King¬ 
dom,  which  are  of  universal  scope,  including  all  without  dis¬ 
tinction,  and  unto  the  complete  establishment  of  the  reign  of 
righteousness.  With  all  this  pride  and  hatred  of  Gentiles,  and 
mistake  as  to  the  spiritual  meaning  of  their  own  prophecies, 
the  Jews  never  dreamed  that  these  were  to  be  confined  to 
themselves.  The  law  should  be  perpetual,  but  the  nations 
were  to  be  admitted  to  its  privileges  ;  so  that  our  Saviour 
testified  of  the  Pharisees,  that  “  they  compassed  sea  and  land 
to  make  one  proselyte.”  The  whole  Old  Testament  is  full  of 
this  idea  of  universal  salvation. 

But  turning  to  the  New  Testament, 

3.  We  might  dwell  at  length  on  the  Person  and  Work  of 
.Christ,  in  order  to  appreciate  how  impossible  it  is  to  associate 
any  idea  of  restriction  with  these.  In  Him  the  love  of  God  has 
its  highest  manifestation.  He  considered  not  his  own  glory, 


but  sacrificed  himself  for  men.  He  passed  over  angels  that 
were  fallen  in  order  to  devote  himself  to  a  most  foreign  mission, 
to  another  world,  and  to  a  lower  and  lost  race.  How  much  is 
implied  in  that  phrase,  characteristic  of  the  Gospel  of  John, 
God  sent  him  into  the  world  !  It  implies  the  eternal  pre-exist¬ 
ence  and  therefore  the  divine  dignity  of  the  Lord.  It  shows 
the  infinite  love  of  God  in  the  sacrifice  of  such  a  Saviour.  It 
implies  the  preparation  and  equipment  of  the  Son  in  the 
character  of  the  Revealer  of  the  Father,  his  representative 
and  agent  in  the  execution  of  his  purpose.  Sent  him  away, 
from  God,  from  glory,  from  heaven,  to  the  life  on  earth,  to 
the  cross  and  sepulchre  ;  and  thereby  constituted  him  the 
type  of  all  who  are  to  engage  in  any  part  of  the  work  of  pro¬ 
moting  the  purpose  of  his  sending. 

“  The  word  became  flesh.”  In  the  Incarnation  the  uni¬ 
versality  of  this  salvation  is  conspicuous.  He  became  man  for 
all  men.  Not  for  the  Jews,  nor  favoured  races  of  men,  the 
philosophical,  the  refined,  the  heroic,  the  cultured.  Such  dis¬ 
tinctions  vanish  beneath  the  infinite  condescension  of  his  com¬ 
ing.  The  lowest  are  no  more  removed  from  him  than  the 
highest,  the  best  no  better  worth  in  his  sight  than  the  lost  and 
lowest.  Light  for  the  world  !  Universal  sympathy  for  every 
character  and  condition.  No  characteristic  of  our  Lord  is 
more  remarkable  than  His  many-sidedness.  And  it  is  so  be¬ 
cause  it  so  thoroughly  corresponds  with  the  ideal  of  humanity. 
Nothing  could  be  more  misconceived  than  the  representation 
of  him  as  a  Jew,  the  product  of  his  race,  the  embodiment  of 
the  spirit  of  his  age  and  his  religion.  On  the  human  side 
alone,  he  is  ideal  man.  No  capacity,  no  weakness,  no  aspira¬ 
tion  of  men,  but  has  its  profoundest  counterpart  in  him,  and 
therefore  its  sympathy  and  inspiration.  He  is  of  all  men  the 
most  human,  most  manly,  and  therefore  most  helpful.  “The 
Word  became  Flesh.” 

And  this  truth  appears  most  conspicuously  in  the  death  of 
Christ.  As  this  was  the  real  and  spiritual  sacrifice,  offered 
once  for  all,  it  was  necessarily  for  all  at  once.  No  longer  under 


8 


the  conditions  of  the  ritual,  with  High  Priest,  and  altars  and 
temples,  all  of  which  were  the  instruments  of  restriction  to  a 
chosen  race,  it  was  the  substance  of  which  these  were  the 
shadow.  And  therefore  when  the  real  sacrifice  was  paid,  these 
must  be  for  ever  done  away.  When  Christ  died  types  and  pre¬ 
dictions  were  emptied  of  all  value.  And  as  real,  it  was  also  ade¬ 
quate  in  its  value  for  the  sins  of  all  men,  and  precisely  adapted 
to  the  condition  of  all  men  as  sinners.  And  as  real,  adequate 
and  adapted,  it  must  be  freely  offered  to  all  men.  No  reserva¬ 
tion  is  compatible  with  its  essential  nature.  And  on  the  other 
hand,  and  as  a  consequence  also  of  its  reality,  the  condition 
of  its  efficacy  can  only  be  faith.  As  Paul  argued  and  Luther 
preached,  faith  only,  must  be  necessary  to  its  effect.  Every 
one  who  accepts  it  must  be  saved  by  it.  And  faith  is  a  per¬ 
sonal  condition,  possible  for  all  men  everywhere  by  the  aid  of 
God’s  Spirit.  The  very  nature  of  the  atonement  involves  its 
universality.  The  death  of  Christ  would  not  be  proclaimed, 
without  in  the  very  statement  including  its  application  to  the 
world.  John  the  Baptist  would  not  point  to  the  Lamb  of  God, 
as  the  real  fulfilment  of  the  typical  sacrifice,  without  adding 
in  the  same  sentence,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world. 
Jesus  could  hot  say  to  Nicodemus  that  he  was  to  be  lifted  up, 
without  adding  as  its  necessary  complement,  that  he  would 
draw  all  men  unto  him.  So  Paul  declares  that  the  Cross  is 
the  point  of  union  between  Jew  and  Gentile,  and  between  man 
and  God.  “  It  pleased  the  Father  that  in  him  should  all  ful¬ 
ness  dwell  ;  and  having  made  peace  through  the  blood  of  his 
Cross,  by  him  to  reconcile  all  things  unto  himself;  by  him,  I 
Say,  whether  they  be  things  in  earth  or  things  in  heaven.  And 
you  that  were  sometimes  alienated,  and  enemies  in  your  mind 
by  wicked  works,  yet  now  hath  he  reconciled.”  He  could  not 
die,  in  the  nature  of  things,  for  a  class,  or  for  a  nation.  Such 
provision  must  be  for  the  race. 

And  as  he  passed  to  his  throne  it  certainly  must  be  to 
dominion  over  the  whole  earth,  and  not  earth  only  but  heaven. 
Now  if  in  the  incarnation  and  death  of  Christ  the  idea  is  neces- 


9 


sarily  included  of  abundant  application,  of  wealth  in  provision, 
of  a  glorious  conquest  of  humanity,  is  it  possible  that  any  be¬ 
liever  should  by  faith  so  come  into  union  with  that  death,  as 
to  receive  its  pardoning  benefit,  and  into  union  with  that  risen 
and  reigning  Saviour,  so  as  to  partake  of  his  life,  and  imagine 
that  in  the  appropriation  to  himself  he  has  done  ail  that  is 
required  of  him?  That  all  this  has  been  done  for  him  for  his 
own  sake  only  ?  Or  that  he  can  have  any  work  to  do,  or  any 
worth  in  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  but  to  spread  the  knowledge 
of  salvation,  and  bring  others  to  its  joys  to  the  praise  of  the 
grace  of  God  ? 

4.  The  same  truth  is  evidently  displayed  in  the  Mission  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  the  establishment  thereby  of  a  Spiritual 
dispensation.  During  the  presence  of  the  Lord  on  eartn,  all 
eyes  were  directed  to  him,  and  all  hopes  centered  in  his  im¬ 
mediate  presence.  To  be  with  him,  to  follow  him,  to  learn  of 
him,  was  the  earnest  longing  of  his  disciples.  On  this 
account,  in  large  part,  he  told  them  that  it  was  expedient  for 
them  that  he  should  go  away,  that  he  might  send  the  Com¬ 
forter  to  them,  to  establish  a  union  with  him  closer  than  that 
of  sight  and  sense,  so  that  the  work  of  the  Spirit  with  all  that 
it  implies  of  enlightenment  and  guidance,  might  be  no  longer 
embarrassed  by  local  restrictions.  So  that  those  afar  off 
might  be  as  near  to  him  as  those  nigh  at  hand.  And  thus 
their  spiritual  life  might  be  exercised  and  strengthened  by  the 
immediate  influence  of  the  Spirit  within  them.  In  the  very 
nature  of  spiritual  influence  lies  the  evidence  that  it  can  be 
subject  to  no  restrictions.  The  Spirit  does  not  deal  with 
organizations,  or  with  nations,  or  with  classes  of  men,  prim¬ 
arily.  He  does  not  act  through  external  means,  but  imme¬ 
diately  in  the  soul.  He  exerts  a  personal  power  upon  indi¬ 
vidual  men.  Men,  as  men,  are  the  subjects  of  his  grace.  And 
therefore  no  conditions  external  to  individual  men,  can  restrict 
his  grace.  No  conditions  of  race,  forms  of  organization,  or  of 
external  privilege  of  any  kind,  can  either  procure  or  prevent 
his  operations ;  but  faith  only,  and  obedience,  which  are  per- 


10 


sonal  to  the  believer.  Here  is  a  grand  distinction  between  the 
Old  Dispensation  and  the  New,  that  faith  no  longer  rests  on 
intermediate  representations  of  the  truth,  but  upon  Christ  in 
person,  and  that  by  the  agency  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  soul 
enjoys  this  immediate  access  to  and  communion  with  God, 
and  therefore  every  barrier  to  the  universal  spread  of  the  gos¬ 
pel  is  done  away.  Nations  without  a  ritual,  a  temple,  a 
priesthood  or  a  sacrifice,  stand  by  the  Spirit  in  the  inmost 
courts  of  divine  manifestation.  Men  everywhere  are  the 
proper  subjects  of  salvation,  and  the  way  is  open  for  carrying 
its  promises  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  In  the  nature  of  things 
the  Spirit  cannot  be  bestowed  in  any  other  way,  or  upon  any 
other  terms,  and  the  very  fact  of  his  outpouring  is  therefore 
the  evidence  of  his  universal  extension. 

How  central  this  truth  was  in  the  occurrences  at  Pentecost 
is  familiar  to  all.  The  multitude  from  all  nations  spake  in 
unknown  languages.  Peter  quotes  the  prophecy  of  Joel,  to 
the  effect  that  all  distinctions  of  age,  sex,  station,  or  nationality 
were  henceforth  to  be  abolished,  and  that  the  Spirit  was  now 
come  upon  them  that  were  nigh,  and  them  that  were  afar  off, 
even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call.  And  in  accord¬ 
ance  with  this  essential  character  of  the  Spirit’s  operations, 
the  practical  effect  is  that  each  one  who  receives  the  Holy 
Spirit  becomes  himself  the  centre  of  a  new  diffusion.  Regen¬ 
erated  and  illumined  and  filled  with  the  love  of  God,  he  is 
impelled  to  communicate  to  others  also.  Standing  in  new 
relations  to  God  and  to  his  fellow  men,  he  is  deterred  by  no 
outward  conditions  from  bringing  all  within  his  reach  to  the 
same  blessings.  By  all  his  sense  of  gratitude  for  good  be¬ 
stowed,  by  all  his  sense  of  sin  and  unworthiness  under  which 
the  grace  has  been  received,  by  all  his  sympathy  with  the 
wants  and  dangers  of  his  fellows  in  like  condition  with  him¬ 
self,  he  is  compelled  to  use  his  utmost  effort  in  bringing  others 
to  Christ.  Impelled  by  the  powers  of  a  new  life,  by  the  cer¬ 
titudes  of  a  new  faith  which  cannot  be  gainsaid,  by  the  con¬ 
scious  communications  of  a  strength  more  than  human,  he  be- 


1 1 


comes  the  most  fitting  instrument  of  the  Spirit  in  spreading  his 
conquests  among  men.  As  is  said  of  Andrew  and  John,  the 
first  disciples  called  by  Jesus,  when  they  went  to  call  their 
brethren,  “  they  were  no  sooner  Christians  then  they  were 
missionaries.” 

5.  And  because  this  is  the  essential  nature  of  Spiritual 
operations,  we  see,  in  the  next  place,  that  the  idea  of  Missions 
is  incorporated  in  the  very  idea  of  the  Church  ;  and  so  vitally 
incorporated  that  the  church  has  no  existence  apart  from  it. 
The  church  does  not  consist  of  the  seed  of  Abraham  after  the 
flesh  ;  it  is  not  made  up  of  those  who  are  circumcised  and 
conform  to  the  conditions  of  the  Mosaic  covenant ;  it  does 
not  consist  of  the  baptized,  nor  of  those  standing  in  any  out¬ 
ward  relation  to  any  organization  of  men.  It  is  composed  of 
the  elect  of  God,  in  whom  his  Holy  Spirit  dwells  by  faith.  By 
the  Spirit  they  are  united  to  Christ,  and  are  therefore  become 
one  with  one  another;  one  body,  one  church.  And  without 
that  indwelling  there  is  no  church.  And  as  the  gift  of  the 
Spirit  is  without  restriction,  so  is  the  church  necessarily 
coextensive  with  the  gift  of  the  Spirit.  Without  believers  in 
Christ,  called  out  of  every  kindred  and  people  under  heaven, 
there  is  no  church  of  Christ  upon  earth.  And  therefore  the 
church  by  its  initial  constitution  and  in  the  very  idea  of  its 
being  is  a  Missionary  institution,  composed  of  the  scattered 
company  of  the  people  of  God,  and  with  the  law  of  self  perpet¬ 
uation  imposed  upon  it,  existing  for  the  very  purpose  of  ex¬ 
tending  itself,  and  bringing  the  nations  into  its  living  union. 
For  this  reason  when  our  Lord  founded  his  church  on  earth, 
it  was,  as  at  Pentecost,  by  the  effusion  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon 
all.  For  this  reason,  when  he  ascended,  the  great  promise, 
made  not  for  immediate  consolation  so  much  as  for  future 
guidance,  was  that  the  Holy  Spirit  should  be  given  continu¬ 
ously  unto  the  end.  For  this  reason  he  sketched  to  his  dis¬ 
ciples  the  future  contests  and  persecutions  his  people  should 
meet  with  in  the  world,  all  of  which  should  issue  in  the  glori¬ 
ous  triumph  of  his  kingdom  in  his  Second  Coming.  For  the 


12 


same  reason  when  he  commissioned  his  Apostles,  it  was  with 
the  express  command,  “  Go  into  all  the  world  and  preach  my 
gospel  to  every  creature.”  And  to  this  idea  of  the  Church  as 
a  Missionary  organization  the  Book  of  Acts  remarkably  cor¬ 
responds  ;  for,  amidst  all  vicissitudes  of  persecution  and  inter¬ 
nal  corruption,  the  fundamental  thought  of  the  book  is  growth. 
Three  thousand  at  Pentecost,  five  thousand  later,  among  peo¬ 
ple  and  priests,  in  spite  of  persecution  and  because  of  persecu¬ 
tion,  in  spite  of  hypocritical  members  and  of  internal  dissen¬ 
sions,  and  because  of  overcoming  these,  it  continued  to  grow. 
From  Jerusalem  to  Samaria,  to  Cyprus,  and  to  Antioch;  from 
Antioch  to  Pamphylia  and  Pisidia,  to  Galatia  and  Phrygia, 
ter  Philippi,  Thessalonica,  Athens,  and  Corinth  ;  to  Ephesus, 
Colossae  and  Laodicea,  until  from  Jerusalem  round  about 
unto  Ulyricum  there  was  no  space  left,  and  the  circle  must 
widen  westward  to  Rome  also.  In  the  first  instance,  in  the 
nature  of  the  case,  the  process  must  begin  in  Palestine,  and 
among  Jews.  It  was  only  the  more  efficient  because  the 
church  at  first  failed  to  understand  the  universal  scope  of  her 
mission,  and  concentrated  her  energies  upon  the  field  within 
her  reach;  yet  the  Spirit  within  her  could  not  long  be  thus 
confined.  It  burst  the  barriers  of  the  ritual,  and  spread  on 
every  side  and  by  every  opportunity,  without  waiting  for 
Apostles  either  to  lead  or  to  point  the  way.  Apostles  them¬ 
selves  regarded  with  wonder  the  expansive  force  of  the  gospel 
which  they  were  commissioned  to  teach,  and  learned  by  the 
effect  of  the  Spirit  in  the  church  as  well  as  by  the  revelation 
of  the  Spirit  within  them,  the  purpose  of  God  toward  the 
world.  It  follows,  therefore,  that  in  whatever  degree  the 
church  fails  to  appreciate  her  duty  to  the  world,  and  to  neglect 
the  means  of  this  growth,  she  vitiates  the  idea  of  her  being, 
and  dwarfs  and  despiritualizes  her  life.  It  follows  that  these 
notions  of  ours  of  churches  restricted  nationally,  or  by  de¬ 
nominations,  and  these  distinctions  between  the  church  and 
her  missionary  agencies, — as  though  the  life  were  in  the  home 
organization,  and  only  the  far  off  and  secondary  channel  of  her 


13 


life  were  in  the  Missionaries  she  sends  to  the  frontier  or  to  the 
heathen — are  ideas  contrary  to  New  Testament  truth.  Nay, 
if  we  must  make  distinctions,  let  us  rather  say  that  the  Mis¬ 
sionary  work  is  the  church,  and  the  home  organization  is  the 
appendage.  Paul  and  his  Missions  were  more  than  Jerusalem 
and  Antioch  combined.  And  let  us  be  assured  that  the  law 
of  her  being  is,  that  in  proportion  to  her  sound  and  spiritual 
extension  abroad,  will  be  the  vigour  and  illumination  of  her 
life  at  home. 

6.  Noth  ng  mn  ^  more  instructive  than  to  study  the  way 
in  which  this  idea  of  universality  is  inwrought  into  the  structure 
of  the  New  Testament  both  in  its  history  and  the  development 
of  its  doctrine.  We  have  seen  that  it  is  included  in  that  love 
which  is  the  life  principle  of  the  church  ;  in  the  purpose  of 
God  in  salvation ;  in  the  sending,  the  incarnation  and  atonement 
of  Christ ;  in  the  mission  of  the  Holy  Spirit:  and  in  the  idea 
of  the  church  when  first  instituted  on  earth.  Now  look  at  the 
New  Testament  in  its  broad  outlines  of  history  and  literature. 
Its  history  is  the  history  of  Missions  ;  its  epistles  are  the  liter¬ 
ature  of  its  Missions.  The  great,  comprehensive,  historical 
fact  of  the  Apostolic  period  is  the  change  of  dispensations  ;  that 
is,  the  calling  of  the  Gentiles  ;  that  is,  Missions.  The  great, 
fundamental  truth  of  the  gospel  is  justification  by  faith.  We 
have  seen  how  indissolubly  connected  these  two  are ;  that  the 
one  is  the  expression  in  history  of  the  other,  which  is  the  life 
principle  moulding  that  expression.  That  because  the  real, 
spiritual  sacrifice  has  been  made,  there  can  be  no  condition  of 
salvation  other  than  faith,  and  because  faith  is  the  sole  condi¬ 
tion,  the  application  must  be  universal.  And  as  this  truth, 
taught  by  Christ  and  brought  into  life  by  the  Spirit,  found  ex¬ 
pression  in  the  extension  of  the  church,  so  on  the  other  hand, 
the  church  came  to  full  comprehension  of  the  truth,  and  of  its 
relations,  so  as  to  reduce  it  to  definition  and  to  carry  it  to  its 
intended  results,  by  means  of  this  extension.  In  this  sense  it 
is  eminently  true  that  history  was  before  doctrine.  The 
Apostles  in  Jerusalem,  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  necessarily 
devoted  themselves  to  witnessing  for  Christ,  and  promoting 


H 


the  growth  of  the  church  among  the  Jews,  at  first.  There; 
must  be  a  material  basis  for  wider  extension.  The  leaven 
spread  from  within.  And  in  order  to  their  greater  efficiency 
in  this  work,  their  minds  are  not  distracted  by  ulterior  ques¬ 
tions,  about  the  abrogation  of  the  law,  or  the  calling  of  the 
Gentiles.  Peter  and  James  especially,  therefore,  hold  the  door 
open  for  Jews,  and  continue  to  do  so  to  the  end  of  their  lives. 
Meanwhile  we  have  seen  that  the  expansive  force  of  this  new 
idea,  or  rather  the  force  of  this  new  life,  has,  unconsciously  to 
themselves,  pressed  beyond  the  limits  of  Judaism,  and  Gentiles 
are  brought  in,  and  Gentile  Missions  established.  How  did  the 
church  learn  not  only  that  faith  in  Christ  was  the  way  of  sal¬ 
vation,  but  more  than  this  that  circumcision  was  no  longer  to 
be  enforced,  and  that  righteousness  was  in  no  sense  by  the 
law?  You  say  that  these  are  truths  of  salvation  taught  only, 
by  the  Spirit  of  God,  through  men  inspired  to  communicate 
them.  And  you  say  truly.  But  it  is  equally  true  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  taught  these  truths  to  Paul,  by  Missions.  Per¬ 
secution  scattered  the  church,  and  the  Spirit  within  them  im¬ 
pelled  believers  to  preach,  and  Gentiles  were  converted.  And 
thus  Paul  came  to  see  and  understand  the  scope  and  applica¬ 
tion  of  the  work  of  Christ.  Then  the  church  at  Jerusalem 
rejoiced  that  upon  Gentiles  also  God  had  bestowed  eternal  life. 
Then  Peter  said  to  complaining  Jewish  Christians,  Who  can 
refuse  water  that  these  should  not  be  baptized  !  What  was  I 
that  I  could  withstand  God  !  On  the  one  hand,  Paul  writes 
to  the  Ephesians  (ch.  iii  :  3-6)  that  his  knowledge  that  “  the 
Gentiles  should  be  fellow  heirs,  and  of  the  same  body,  partak¬ 
ers  of  his  promise  in. Christ  by  the  gospel,”  was  a  mystery 
made  known  to  him  by  revelation,  which  in  other  ages  was 
not  made  known  to  the  sons  of  men.  And  on  the  other  hand, 
we  learn  the  method  of  that  revelation  by  the  Spirit,  not  only 
in  the  important  fact  that  the  work  was  already  begun  and  had 
made  good  progress  before  Paul  entered  upon  it,  but  we  read 
it  even  more  clearly  in  the  fact  that  his  statement  and  argument 
for  his  doctrine  of  justification  are  but  the  elucidation  of  princi¬ 
ples  involved,  and  vindication  of  truths  which  lay  at  the  basis 


i5 


/i 


Lfl 

> 


of  his  Missionary  activity.  Justification  is  through  Christ  be¬ 
cause  of  the  universal  sinfulness  of  men,  Jews  as  well  as  GehfciiesP 
There  can  be  no  righteousness  by  the  law,  therefore,  but  only 
in  Christ,  and  therefore  for  all  men.  The  mystery  of  Christ 
seems  in  Paul’s  mind  to  be  almost  identical  with  the  mystery 
of  the  calling  of  the  Gentiles  ;  the  extent  of  the  atonement  is 
involved  in  the  nature  of  it.  Thus  the  church  owes  the  very 
title  deeds  of  her  existence,  the  very  doctrines  of  her  salva¬ 
tion,  to  the  early  Missionary  impulse  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
And  so  also,  when  Paul  passes  on  to  his  Christological  Epis¬ 
tles,  we  trace  the  same  motive,  in  part  at  least,  of  expanding 
and  establishing  the  idea  of  the  dignity  of  the  Person  of  Christ, 
as  necessary  on  the  one  hand,  to  furnish  an  adequate  value  for 
the  universal  sacrifice,  and  as  the  other,  to  exhibit  his  right  to 
his  glorious  reign  as  head  over  all  things  to  his  church,'  pos¬ 
sessing  all  might  and  dominion  and  majesty  and  judgment. 
And  when  we  pass  on  to  that  picture  in  the  gospel  of  John, 
the  heavenly  gospel,  telling  of  Christ’s  testifying  of  himself, 
and  speaking  of  things  which  he  had  received  from  the  Father, 
who  does  not  see  that  the  same,  or  rather  a  higher  universal- 
ism  pervades  the  whole  ;  that  Jew  and  Judaizer,  are  now  all 
forgotten  ;  that  man  as  man,  as  he  stands  before  God  in  rela¬ 
tion  to  Christ,  believing  or  rejecting,  is  alone  in  question  ; 
that  this  idea  of  universality,  the  salvation  of  the  world,  its 
new  creation,  is  alone  in  place.  And  the  Apocalypse  carries 
forward  the  hope  of  the  church  into  the  future,  when  the 
promises  shall  be  fulfilled,  and  the  effect  of  the  spiritual  life 
completely  realized. 

Let  us  see  to  it  that  whether  we  stay  at  home  or  go 
abroad,  travel  by  land  or  by  sea,  preach  in  our  own  or  in  a 
foreign  language,  labour  on  the  frontier  or  in  the  great  cities, 
that  we  be  Missionaries  ;  not  content  unless  the  church  grows 
by  our  instrumentality,  both  in  extension  and  in  inward  grace  ; 
lest  by  self  seeking  we  vitiate  the  truth  of  our  own  Spiritual 
life,  and  separate  ourselves  from  the  flow  of  that  blessing  that 
comes  from  Christ  through  his  Holy  Spirit. 


